Probe opened into yellow vest 'suicide' jibes at French police

Paris prosecution services have opened an investigation into reported jibes aimed at police by anti-government ‘yellow vest’ protestors in Paris on Saturday in which they allegedly shouted ‘kill yourselves’ in a reference to a police union revelation last week that 28 officers have committed suicide since January 1st.

With French police suicides on the rise, Paris authorities are investigating yellow vest protesters who encouraged police to kill themselves, reports ABC News.

Radical protesters have clashed with police nearly every weekend for five months on the margins of largely peaceful yellow vest demonstrations demanding more help for Frances beleaguered workers, retirees and students.

Police unions denounced the protesters call as an unacceptable insult to the officers who have killed themselves and their suffering families. Interior Minister Christophe Castaner called it a disgrace and pledged his support for police and their loved ones, who have been under extra strain as the yellow vest protests have sometimes turned quite violent.

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The Paris prosecutors office said an investigation was opened Sunday to find those who might be prosecuted for group offense toward a person exercising public authority.

Police unions held silent protests Friday after two officers killed themselves last week. Unions say police ranks have seen 28 suicides so far this year, compared to 68 over all of 2018.

On another protest topic, the media rights group Reporters Without Borders and Frances National Journalists Union protested Sunday on behalf of journalists who were detained and roughed up by police during Saturdays clashes.